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Nuggets blow lead, fall to Thunder in Oklahoma City

By Christopher DempseyThe Denver Post

Posted:
11/18/2013 09:14:18 PM MST

OKLAHOMA CITY — The very thought of a moral victory tastes like the worst slice of humble pie.

The plays that mattered, the ones that led to a loss in a game the Nuggets could have — and very well should have — won, ran through coach Brian Shaw's mind as fresh as if they were happening right then and there. Russell Westbrook's 3-pointer — and all of those Oklahoma City offensive rebounds that were small daggers in the Nuggets' 115-113 loss Monday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

And the free throws.

Always the free throws.

"Bottom line, you play a team of this caliber on their home court, you pretty much control the entire game, it comes down to small details," Shaw said. "We didn't do well enough in those areas. We missed 18 free throws, notwithstanding the two at the end that Ty (Lawson) was trying to miss. But you miss 18 free throws, you give up 19 offensive rebounds against this team on their home floor and you lose the game by two. That's the part that's a shame."

The postgame locker room was one big head shake for the Nuggets, who had played well enough to walk away with what would have been their biggest win of the season. Instead, they left with a sense of disappointment, although there was a tinge of confidence that they showed well on the home court of one of the Western Conference contenders.

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But they seek the transformation from near misses to victories.

To do that, though, they'll need to make good on more than 25-of-43 free throws. In the fourth quarter, they were 8-of-14 from the line. The Nuggets took a 92-83 lead into the final frame on the strength of huge performances from Lawson (29 points, eight assists) and J.J. Hickson (18 points, 19 rebounds).

But the Nuggets simply could not hold up under the intense pressure that Kevin Durant and Westbrook applied in crunch time. When Westbrook made a 3-pointer at 4:38, then set up Serge Ibaka for a layup with 4:12 remaining, the Thunder had the lead and relative control of the game.

The Nuggets were 6-of-21 from the field in the fourth quarter, including Hickson's last-second 3-point heave as time expired that missed its mark.

"Free throws and late game rebounds," Hickson said. "We have to do a better job of hitting free throws. I have to do a better job of hitting free throws. I had 19 boards tonight, but I should have had 21, 22 from the last three or four rebounds that they got offensively. ... We know what we have to do. We controlled the game for what, 3½ quarters? We just came up short."

Oklahoma City got 68 points combined from Durant (who had 38 of them) and Westbrook.

"We're right there," Lawson said. "When Randy (Foye is) knocking down shots, (Wilson Chandler is) aggressive, (Hickson is) rebounding and getting to the basket and I'm scoring, we're right there with the best of them. Free throws, and we win the game."

Nuggets Recap

What you might have missed

Nuggets guard Nate Robinson injured his right wrist on a hard fall in the second half. He had X-rays, which came back negative. With Chicago, his former team, coming to Denver on Thursday, he expects to play, but he is day to day. ... The Nuggets forced 12 turnovers, which they converted into 25 points.

Final thought

It wasn't a win, but it's becoming clearer this team will be formidable as the season progresses.